Hard call; there are plenty of little-known combat sports coming out of Africa these days, including various forms of (kick)boxing, wrestling and stick fighting. I've seen a bit of Musangwe fighting on YouTube, and it's tough stuff; bare-knuckle punches, headbutts and knees. The African styles that I'm aware of are systematized, but not always in the same way that Asian or Euro-American styles are.

Also keep in mind that some guys claim it is a reconstruction of sorts, depending on the art. At any rate people that I condsider in the know say the skills are there, including some Kali guys, some African dance groups that teach the combat through the dances, etc. Worth a look for sure IF IT IS IN THE RIGHT FORUM! cough cough

I think it is definitely in the right forum as I'm interested to see the opinions of bullshidokas regarding these arts. I'm just worried that these "african martial arts systems" are really repackaged Muay Thai, BJJ, etc with African "Flair" thrown in(which would be an outright insult to these systems and Africa as well)

I think it is definitely in the right forum as I'm interested to see the opinions of bullshidokas regarding these arts. I'm just worried that these "african martial arts systems" are really repackaged Muay Thai, BJJ, etc with African "Flair" thrown in(which would be an outright insult to these systems and Africa as well)

There's plenty of evidence going back to the 1800s at least, documenting the existence of numerous armed and unarmed African martial arts.

The question of whether some of the modern versions of these styles have been "contaminated" by non-traditional sources in very interesting. A couple of weeks back I posted this: http://www.bullshido.net/forums/show...12&postcount=1 which is a long academic account of Mukumbusu, a similar combat sport/martial art/rite of passage in the Congo. The young men who form the Mukumbusu subculture are happy to take what they can glean from Western boxing, moves copied from Hong Kong kung fu movies, etc. and mix them in with the traditional style, but obviously that isn't the same thing as a huckster re-packaging one style in the cultural trappings of another.

I think it is definitely in the right forum as I'm interested to see the opinions of bullshidokas regarding these arts. I'm just worried that these "african martial arts systems" are really repackaged Muay Thai, BJJ, etc with African "Flair" thrown in(which would be an outright insult to these systems and Africa as well)

We can assure you that the African martial systems we practise are purely African with no addition from western or oriental sources, basically these are not reconstructed Muay Thai BJJ etc.As Musangwe has been practised in Africa for over a thousand years, it's recognised by the South African government and sports council and numerouse scholars as an indegenouse African martial art.In fact during the 1980's a soldier well versed in western boxing came to the Musangwe grounds as a sceptic to challenge the Musangwe fighters, the fight lasted 5 mins he was knocked to the ground by the Musangwe fighter who was using pure African Musangwe punching techniques not western boxing techniques.

Empty hand fighting systems, fist fighting systems, and kicking arts have existed in Africa for milleniums, long before western boxing and the oriental arts were systemised.Please see below for a list of pure African fist fighting systems, these are real and not made up you can even google them.

1--Dambe-- traditional African kickboxing style of the Hausa from Nigeria

2--Asafo Atwele-- fist fighting system of the Ga tribe from Ghana, which still
exists though not widely known, despite being banned by the British authorities in the 1930's as being too rough and violent.

3--Libanda an all round empty hand system with punching techniques.

4--Ongkadeka--a palm striking style fighting system from Namibia similar
to slapboxing.

The list is endless and our website when finished will show more, but this just the tip of the iceberg.

If you're not alleging that there's something really wrong with these arts, up to and including outright fraud, then this is the wrong forum. This forum is for allegations and investigations into martial arts fraud.

If you're not alleging that there's something really wrong with these arts, up to and including outright fraud, then this is the wrong forum. This forum is for allegations and investigations into martial arts fraud.

Will there be Comba-Tai videos?

Technically,

This forum is specifically for ON-TOPIC discussion of McDojos, Investigations into Fraudulent MA Practices, the Standards of MA, and the History of MA.

This one might just squeak in as "History of MA", though frankly it's reading more like spam.

Sounds interesting. I have seen something on that African kickboxing style. Those kicks are bloody nasty
Its hardly a surprise there are African martial arts. If anyone knows of a place in London that teaches them could they please let me know as Id like to do it.
I know the senegalese and gambians are great wrestlers, as are the Nuba of Sudan